Hospital-Based Assessment of Management Strategies for Communicable Diseases in a Tertiary Care Centre of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background: Communicable diseases continue to pose a major public health challenge in Uttar Pradesh, India, despite implementation of various state and national disease-control programmes. Evaluation of hospital-based management strategies is essential for understanding disease burden and treatment outcomes during peak transmission periods.
Objectives: To assess the pattern of diagnosis and management of selected communicable diseases in a tertiary care hospital of central Uttar Pradesh during the peak seasonal period.
Materials and Methods: A prospective hospital-based observational study was conducted at a district hospital attached to a Government Medical College in central Uttar Pradesh from July 2023 to December 2023. However, analysis for seasonal trend assessment was restricted to the peak transmission period from September 2023 to November 2023. All patients attending outpatient departments (OPD) and inpatient departments (IPD) who underwent diagnostic testing for selected communicable diseases were included. Diseases assessed included dengue, malaria, scrub typhus, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis. Data regarding diagnostic tests, confirmed positive cases, admissions, discharges, referrals, and mortality were collected from hospital laboratory and clinical records. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using frequencies and percentages.
Results: During the study period, 4,287 patients underwent diagnostic testing for communicable diseases. Malaria accounted for 965 (30.9%) confirmed cases, while dengue accounted for 363 (31.2%) confirmed cases among those tested. Only two cases of scrub typhus were identified, and no confirmed cases of leptospirosis, chikungunya, or Japanese encephalitis were reported during the peak study period. Most patients were managed at the OPD level, while a smaller proportion required IPD admission. No mortality was reported among the studied communicable disease cases during the study period.
Conclusion: The majority of communicable disease cases in the study setting were successfully managed at the outpatient level, with limited need for hospitalization and no reported mortality. Strengthening diagnostic surveillance, inpatient management facilities, and disease-monitoring systems may further improve communicable disease management in tertiary care settings.